Edward woke up before the sun.
The dorm room was completely dark.
The only sound was the deep, even breathing of the other boys.
He threw off his quilt.
He did not make a sound.
He opened his hidden space and pulled out the heavy training bands.
He strapped them to his wrists and his ankles.
The weight pulled his arms down, but he liked the heavy feeling.
He walked to the window.
He unlocked the latch and pushed the glass open.
The cool morning air hit his face.
He grabbed the stone ledge, pulled himself up, and slipped out onto the damp grass.
He closed the window behind him.
The castle grounds were quiet.
The sky looked dark blue and grey.
Edward started to run.
He did not jog.
He sprinted.
He pushed his legs hard against the extra weight.
He ran all the way down to the edge of the large black lake.
He ran back up the hill toward the castle walls.
He did this ten times.
His lungs burned.
Sweat rolled down his face.
When his legs felt heavy, he stopped by a large tree.
He dropped to the grass.
He did push-ups until his arms shook.
He flipped over and did situps.
He stood back up and threw punches into the empty air, practicing his footwork.
He pushed his body to its limit.
He did not stop until the sky started to turn light blue.
He walked back to his window.
He unstrapped the heavy weights and dropped them back into his hidden space.
He felt lighter.
He opened the window, slipped inside, and locked it.
The other boys were still asleep.
Edward grabbed his soap and a towel.
He walked down the hall to the washroom.
He took a long, hot shower.
He washed the sweat and dirt away.
He felt completely awake.
He dried off and put on his new school uniform.
He pulled the black robes over his shoulders.
When he walked back into the dorm room, Justin and Ernie were just waking up.
Justin rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Ernie sat up and stretched his arms.
“Morning,” Edward said.
“I am going to eat breakfast.” “Already?” Ernie mumbled, looking at the window.
“It is early.” Edward just nodded and left the room.
He walked through the quiet basement corridors and went up the stairs.
He entered the Great Hall.
The room looked entirely different in the morning light.
The floating candles were gone.
The enchanted ceiling showed a clear, bright blue sky.
The hall was mostly empty.
A few Ravenclaw students sat at their table, reading books while they ate.
Two older Slytherin boys sat quietly at the far end of the room.
Edward looked over at the Gryffindor table.
He saw Percy Weasley sitting very straight, eating a bowl of porridge.
Further down the same table, Hermione Granger sat alone.
She had a thick book propped up against a juice pitcher.
She read while she chewed her toast.
Edward walked toward the Hufflepuff table.
He looked up at the staff table.
Professor Sprout sat there, drinking tea.
Edward gave her a small wave.
Professor Sprout saw him.
She smiled warmly and nodded her head.
Edward sat down.
He grabbed a plate.
He loaded it with bacon, eggs, and a piece of toast.
He poured himself a large cup of fruit juice.
The food tasted great.
He opened his hidden space under the table.
He pulled out a book he bought in Diagon Alley.
He opened it and started to read while he ate.
Time passed.
The hall slowly filled with noise.
More students walked through the large doors.
Justin, Ernie, Wayne, and Zacharias walked in.
Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones walked right behind them.
They all looked a bit sleepy.
They sat down around Edward.
“Did you find the hall easily?” Justin asked, putting eggs on his plate.
“Yes,” Edward said.
“I just remembered the way we came last night.” A few minutes later, Gabriel walked over.
The Hufflepuff prefect carried a single piece of parchment in his hand.
“Good morning, first years,” Gabriel smiled.
“Time for your schedules.” Gabriel pulled out his wand.
He tapped the single piece of parchment.
“Geminio.” The parchment copied itself.
A second piece peeled right off the first one.
He tapped it again and again until he had enough copies for everyone.
He handed them out.
Edward looked at his schedule.
“Charms first.
With the Ravenclaws.” “I hope we actually get to do magic today,” Ernie said.
They finished their food.
Edward noticed that Harry and Ron still had not shown up.
The Gryffindor table was full, but the two boys were missing.
Edward guessed they overslept.
The Hufflepuff first years stood up.
They walked out of the hall together to find their classroom.
As they walked down the corridors, the other kids started talking about flying.
“Did you see the new broom in the shop windows?” a boy named MacMillan asked.
“The Nimbus Two Thousand.
My brother says it is the fastest broom ever made.” “I have never flown before,” Justin admitted.
“Is it difficult?” “Not at all,” Ernie said.
“You just have to hold on tight.” Edward listened to them talk.
They found the Charms classroom on the third floor.
They walked inside and took their seats.
The Ravenclaw students arrived a moment later.
Terry Boot and a few others sat on the opposite side of the room.
Professor Flitwick was a very short man.
He had to stand on a large pile of books just to see over his desk.
The bell rang.
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands.
“Welcome, welcome!” Professor Flitwick squeaked happily.
“Today, we will begin with a very simple, very useful charm.
The Wand-Lighting Charm.” He explained the theory.
He told them that magic required clear intent.
He showed them the wand movement.
It was a simple, small loop ending with a point.
“The incantation is Lumos,” Flitwick said.
“Speak clearly.
Watch my wand.” Flitwick made the small loop.
“Lumos.” A bright white light flared at the tip of his wand.
It lit up the front of the room.
The students whispered in awe.
“Now, you try,” Flitwick told the class.
Edward pulled out his ash wood wand.
He held it loosely.
He remembered his practice sessions in his orphanage bedroom.
He knew exactly how the magic felt.
He raised his wand.
He made the small loop.
“Lumos,” Edward said calmly.
A strong, steady light burst from the tip of his wand.
It did not flicker.
It shone brightly, like a high-quality flashlight.
Professor Flitwick gasped.
He clapped his hands together.
“Oh, wonderful!
Look here, everyone!
Mr.
Brooks has done it on his very first try!
Perfect form!” The other students looked over.
Justin stared at the light.
“Excellent work, Mr.
Brooks,” Flitwick beamed.
“Now, to turn it off, the counter-charm is Nox.
Just a sharp flick of the wrist.” Edward flicked his wrist.
“Nox.” The light vanished instantly.
“Brilliant!” Flitwick cheered.
“Take five points for Hufflepuff!” Edward placed his wand on the desk.
He felt a few eyes on him.
Next to him, Justin picked up his own wand.
He made a wide, jerky circle in the air.
“Lumos!” Nothing happened.
Justin frowned.
He tried again.
“Lumos!” Still nothing.
“Your wrist is too stiff,” Edward said quietly.
Justin looked at him.
“What do you mean?” “You are gripping the wood too hard,” Edward explained.
“Relax your hand.
Do not force the movement.
Just make a smooth loop and let the magic flow out.
Do not shout the word.
Just say it.” Justin nodded.
He took a breath.
He loosened his grip.
He made a smooth, easy loop.
“Lumos.” A faint, dim light sparked at the end of his wand.
It flickered, but it stayed on.
“I did it!” Justin smiled widely.
“Thanks, Ed!” A girl sitting in front of them turned around.
“Can you watch me do it?
Mine is just shooting warm air.” Edward spent the rest of the class helping his housemates.
He watched their movements.
He corrected their posture.
He told them to speak clearly.
By the end of the hour, almost every Hufflepuff in the room had a lit wand.
Professor Flitwick looked incredibly pleased.
The bell rang again.
They packed their bags.
The next class was History of Magic.
They walked to another classroom.
This class was taught by Professor Binns.
Binns was a ghost.
He floated through the chalkboard to start the lesson.
It was the most boring hour of Edward’s life.
Binns spoke in a single, flat tone.
He did not change his voice.
He did not look at the students.
He just read names and dates from a very old, dusty book.
Within ten minutes, half the class was asleep.
Ernie rested his head on his desk.
Justin stared blankly at the wall.
Edward did not sleep.
He opened his hidden space and pulled out a different book.
He read it while the ghost droned on.
Finally, the lunch bell rang.
The students woke up.
They hurried out of the room, desperate to move around.
Edward walked down to the Great Hall.
The room was loud and crowded.
Food covered the long tables.
He looked toward the Gryffindor table.
He saw Harry and Ron sitting near the middle.
They both looked totally exhausted.
Edward turned to Justin and Ernie.
“I am going to sit with them for lunch.
I will see you guys in the next class.” “Alright, Ed,” Justin said.
They walked to the Hufflepuff table.
Edward walked across the hall.
He stopped behind Harry and Ron.
Hermione sat across from them, cutting a piece of roast beef.
“Hello,” Edward said.
Harry looked up.
He smiled.
“Hey, Ed.” Edward took the empty seat right next to Ron.
He grabbed a plate and put a sandwich on it.
Ron stopped chewing.
He looked at Edward.
He looked at Edward’s yellow and black tie.
Then he looked at the rest of the Gryffindor table.
“You are wearing yellow,” Ron pointed out.
“This is the Gryffindor table.” “I am aware of the colors,” Edward said.
He took a bite of his sandwich.
“But you are a Hufflepuff,” Ron said, looking confused.
“You are supposed to eat over there.” Edward chewed his food.
He swallowed.
He looked at Ron.
“Is there a rule?” Ron blinked.
“A what?” “A school rule,” Edward said simply.
“Did the headmaster say we must only sit at our assigned tables?
Is there a magical barrier stopping me from sitting on this bench?” Ron opened his mouth.
He closed it.
He opened it again.
He could not think of an answer.
He looked at Harry for help.
Harry just grinned and drank his pumpkin juice.
Ron shut his mouth and went back to eating his chicken.
“So,” Edward said, looking at Harry.
“How was your first morning?” “A disaster,” Harry groaned.
He put his head in his hands.
“We got completely lost.
There are too many stairs in this castle.
And the stairs move while you are standing on them.” “We tried to open a door to ask for directions,” Ron added, pointing his fork.
“It was locked.
Then that caretaker guy, Filch, caught us.
He yelled at us.
He said we were trying to break into the forbidden corridor.
He threatened to lock us in the dungeons.” Hermione looked up from her plate.
“If you had just looked at a map, you would not have gotten lost.
And you should not try to open locked doors anyway.” “Nobody asked you,” Ron muttered under his breath.
Edward ate his sandwich.
He found their bad luck highly amusing.
Suddenly, Edward felt a slight shift in the air behind him.
His senses picked up movement.
Two people were sneaking up on him.
They moved quietly, but not quietly enough.
“Well, well,” a voice said behind him.
“What do we have here?” a second voice added.
A hand reached out to grab his right shoulder.
Edward did not even look back.
He simply leaned forward and shifted his torso to the left.
The hand grabbed empty air.
Edward turned around.
Two tall, red-haired boys stood there.
They looked exactly alike.
They wore Gryffindor robes.
One of the twins raised his eyebrows.
He looked at his empty hand, then looked at Edward.
“Looks like this lonely puff has great reflexes.” “Hey,” Ron said, pointing at Edward.
“I said the same thing on the train yesterday.” The twins looked at Ron.
“We know, Ronniekins,” they said at the same time.
The twin on the left stepped forward.
He held out his hand to Edward.
“I am Fred Weasley.” He pointed to his brother.
“And this is George Weasley.” The other twin crossed his arms.
“No, I am George.
You are Fred.” “Am I?” the first twin asked, looking confused.
“I always forget.” “You are Fred,” George said.
“I have the mole on my neck.” “Right you are,” Fred smiled.
He looked back at Edward.
“Edward Brooks,” Edward said.
He shook Fred’s hand.
“Call me Ed.” Fred leaned in closer.
He looked around to see if anyone was listening.
“So, Ed.
Tell us.
Is the rumor true?” “What rumor?” Edward asked.
“Did you really make Draco Malfoy look like a clown before the sorting?” George asked eagerly.
Edward paused.
He looked across the table at Ron.
Ron suddenly looked very interested in his mashed potatoes.
He refused to look up.
Edward sighed.
He looked back at the twins.
“Nope.
I was just talking to him.” “Just talking?” Fred asked.
He sounded disappointed.
“Our little brother said you spoke a secret language and confused Malfoy so badly his brain broke.” “He did!” Ron defended himself, finally looking up.
“I swear!
Malfoy had no idea what he was saying, and he just nodded like an idiot.
It was brilliant.” Hermione frowned.
She placed her fork down.
“You should not spread rumors, Ronald.
And you should not try to confuse people on purpose.
It is mean.” Fred looked at Hermione.
“Who are you?” “Hermione Granger,” she said primly.
“Well, Hermione Granger,” George said.
“Confusing a Malfoy is not mean.
It is a public service.” “Exactly,” Fred agreed.
He clapped Edward on the shoulder.
“If you ever want to confuse him again, let us know.
We have some great prank ideas.” “I will keep that in mind,” Edward said politely.
The twins grabbed a few rolls of bread from the table and walked away, talking loudly to each other.
Edward finished his lunch.
The bell rang loudly in the hall, echoing off the stone walls.
Lunch was over.
“What do you have next?” Harry asked, standing up.
“Herbology,” Edward said, looking at his schedule.
“With the Slytherins.” Edward grabbed his bag.
Hermione stood up and walked away briskly, already heading for the door.
Harry and Ron followed Edward out of the Great Hall.
The afternoon classes were about to begin, and Edward was ready to see what the rest of the day had to offer.